Writing Wednesday: On Reading

Long before I knew I wanted to write books, I loved to read. When people ask what do you like to do, hands down for as long as I can remember my only real answer was read. And I love talking to other people about what I read. Some of my best friendships have formed out of a mutual love of books.

One of my very favorite books about writing is On Writing  by Stephen King. And he talks about how much he reads. And he reads a lot. Nearly as much or more than he spends on writing each day.

I think when it comes to reading, there are two different ways to read as a writer. (This is aside from reading craft books). First you read to enjoy, and see what else is out there. This is important because it exposes you to different styles, and different ways to tell stories, and different viewpoints.

And then there is reading to learn. When there are books that sing to me, that keep me turning the pages, that grab me from the beginning or that turn me inside out. I'll read them again and again. I try to figure out what's working and why.

How did the author build tension in the story?

What did she do for the pacing?  How did she start and end each chapter?

How were the relationships built?  What does the character interaction say about each character including the narrator?

What did I like about that character? What makes me hate that one?

Each author writes differently. There isn't a magic formula that makes up an automatic best seller, but there are common threads that run through great books. Every scene matters. Every interaction shows us something new. The book pulls you in through the pacing, and keeps you wanting to turn the page. No character is absolutely perfect.

How does reading improve your writing?

Review of Second Chances by Donna K Weaver

  

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Second Chances 101 by Donna K. Weaver Thirty seven year old Francie Davis, a recent widow and empty nester, gets to attend college at last. She’s sure her luck has changed when she also lands a job on campus that will pay her tuition, as administrative assistant to a history professor. When her handsome new boss yells at her on the first day of work, Francie worries she will never be good enough. For Professor Alex Diederik, life is going downhill fast. Not only is his bitter ex-wife trying to poison their only daughter against him, but now his one place of solace—his work environment—is being complicated by his attractive new administrative assistant. She drives home his feelings of failure as a husband and father, and Alex wonders if hiring her was the right thing to do. Francie will have to put aside her hurt and insecurities or risk her dreams, while Alex must look outside himself if he’s to mend the breach with his daughter. And, perhaps, find someone who can help heal his pain.

My Review:

I really enjoyed the premix of the book, and Francie, the main character is a bit older than the other main characters in this series. Overall thesis a good book with an interesting storyline. I felt like the ending was a bit rushed overall. But Francie has been my favorite character as fas as being proactive with her situation. It is a fun fast read, and of course it's clean. The perfect escape for a lazy afternoon.



  Author Donna K. Weaver Donna K. Weaver has always loved reading and creating stories, thus she’s been ever entertained. An avid cruiser, she’s sailed the Pacific five times. Wife-mother-grandmother-Army veteran-karate black belt-Harry Potter nerd.

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Books I Love: The Last Best Kiss by Claire LaZebnik

The Last Best Kiss by Claire LaZebnik

This is a retelling of the Persuasion by Jane Austen. I've read a lot of retellings, and this does a great job on creating c contemporary retelling of the story. I really enjoyed it, and I like Anna's self reflection, and the fact that she owns her past choices and how she tries to deal with the situation.

Claire LaZebnik has also written Epic Fail and The Trouble with Flirting. These are both retellings and young adult books. I enjoyed both of these books. She also has written some adult novels, which I haven't read. Have you tried any of her books? What did you think?

Writing Wednesday

So This week I thought I'd write about my current plotting issues. And man do I have them. I have tons of them.  My biggest problem is that I think I'm over complicating things. I have two narrators, and I think I have two story arcs. And I don't know if I can make it work. The two narrators are both main characters, and they fall in love--maybe, I'm not entirely sure about that, but they are both working through similar, but different feelings.

So I've been worried about plot. I like having my major plot points down before I write. It makes my revision process better, because I revise as I write. I recently got James Scott Bell's book Writing Your Novel from the Middle: A New Approach for Plotters, Pansters and Everyone in Between. Anyway, it's been enlightening. He talks about a mirror moment or of self-relfection in that moment. It's a good read, and I'm still trying to decide how to handle it.

But because I have the two stories, within one story, and the very similar story arcs. I'm still trying to figure it out, if I find the center point for those two stories, or if I find the center point and have both of them come to the mirror moment there.

What's your favorite way of handling plotting, and rising and falling action? How do you determine the low point in the story?

Books I Love: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Sweet Evil is the first in a trilogy about demons. Of course there is some mention of angels, but it really focuses on the demons. Anna, the main character, learns that she is the child of a demon, and that it is her job to tempt others to commit sin. The story is just great. I don't want to go into too much detail because the world building is done so well, and there are some great twists and turns. The trilogy continues with Sweet Peril,  and concludes with Sweet Reckoning,  which just came out. 

I was waiting to write about this book because lately I've loved book one and two of a trilogy and just hated the third book. I was so satisfied with the ending. It was everything I wanted in the book. So I heartily recommend this entire series. Have you read it? What did you think?

Friday Five: Jammed Fingers and Other Silliness

1.  This week has been hectic, in a way that means I've struggled to accomplish anything. One example is that my son jammed his finger playing basketball, only it didn't get better and it didn't get better, until my husband decided that he needed to be taken in for it. The way the appointment worked out, it also meant I had to pick up all of my other kids from school and take them since I'd be at the doctor when they were getting off the bus. It was a long day. And most of the days worked out that way.

2. This week I've also realized just how important it is take physically good care of myself. It is important that I'm in good shape so I can do all of the things that I need and want to do. This means making time for exercise and eating healthier. Hopefully it will pay off in the long run.

3. It's beautiful out right now. All week it's been stormy and rainy and we had to keep an eye out for tornados. I made Rob install an app on his phone that would wake us up if one came in the middle of the night. I'm terrified of night tornados. And it did go off, but we woke up and looked at the weather, we realized that the path of storms wasn't even near us. I was glad that alert worked, but I couldn't get back to sleep.

4. Back to how nice it is outside. It really is gorgeous, open your windows let the air come in, and just enjoy spring gorgeous. It makes me want to go outside and stare up at the sky and maybe take a nap out there. I don't want to be stuck inside working.

5. It's nearly time for peaches to be back in season, and for some reason this year, I've been craving them. I really, really want a good peach, and they aren't in the stores yet. I know it's still early, and it was cold a lot later than usual, but I'm still looking for a good peach.

Have a great weekend!

Book Review: Lost and Found by Karey White

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Lost and Found by Karey White Lydia was supposed to have an adventurous and exciting summer. Instead she's done nothing more than read and eat takeout. Now it's time to go home, and what does she have to show for it? A big fat nothing. Unless, of course, her trip to the airport somehow turns into something more than just a flight home. Blake feels like he's been sent on a wild goose chase. While work is piling up back in Denver, he's on the other side of the country, hunting for some mysterious box that his grandfather left him. Well, no more. Nothing inside that box could possibly be more important than the opportunity to make it as the youngest partner at his firm. So he's going home, and that's that. But that's before he discovers his flight has been cancelled. When these two strangers meet at the airport, they make a split-second decision to search for the box together. Maybe with both of them on the hunt, Lydia can have her adventure and Blake can find the box. And maybe, if they’re lucky, they’ll even find some romance.
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My Review:

This book was short and sweet. The story is about Lydia and Blake who are thrown together by chance, and then set out to solve a mystery together. The interaction between the two of them is sweet, and the book focuses on their relationship, as much as anything else. If you want a clean read, that is fun and sweet, you should try this book.

 

Author Karey White Karey is a USA Today best-selling author. She grew up in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Missouri. She attended Ricks College and Brigham Young University. Her first novel, Gifted, was a Whitney Award Finalist. She loves to travel, read, cook, and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband are the parents of four wonderful children.  

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The Ripple Effect Romance Novella Series Enjoy this exciting new series of clean novellas by six critically-acclaimed authors. "Like a pebble tossed into calm water, a simple act can ripple outward and have a far-reaching effect on those we meet, perhaps setting a life on a different course—one filled with excitement, adventure, and sometimes even love." Book 1: Home Matters by Julie N. Ford Book 2: Silver Linings by Kaylee Baldwin Book 3: Righting A Wrong by Rachael Anderson Book 4: Lost and Found by Karey White Book 5: Second Chances 101 by Donna K. Weaver Book 6: Immersed by Jennifer Griffith

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